01
On what days,
Publicity.
Keeping wit- nesses out of Court.
Order of
business at sittings,
Non-appear-
ance of both parties.
Non-appear- ance of plaintiff.
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requisite; and the adjournment day shall, unless otherwise ordered by the Court, be the next ordinary Court day.
Sittings of Court.
71. The sittings of the Court for the hearing of causes shall be, where the amount of public business so warrants, held on fixed and stated days.
The Court may, at its discretion, appoint any other day or days from time to time for the hearing of causes, as circum- stances require.
72. The sittings of the Court for the hearing of causes shall ordinarily be public; but the Court may, for a
reason
to be specified by it on the minutes, hear any particular cause or matter in the presence only of the parties and their legal advisers and the officers of the Court.
73. On the application of either party at the commencement of the proceedings, or of its own motion, the Court may order witnesses on both sides to be kept out of Court until they have respectively given their evidence; but this rule does not extend to the parties themselves, or to their respective legal advisers, although intended to be called as witnesses.
74. Subject to special arrangements for any particular day, the business of the day shall be taken as nearly as circum- stances permit in the following order:---
(i.) at the commencement of the sitting judgments shall be delivered in matters standing over for that purpose and ing for judgment in the paper:
appear-
(i) ex parte motions and motions by consent shall next be taken, in the order in which the motion-papers have been sent in: (iii) opposed motions on notice, and arguments on showing cause against orders returnable on that day, shall then be taken, in the order in which these matters respectively stand in the hearing paper:
(iv) the causes in the hearing paper shall then be called on, in their order, unless the Court sees fit to vary the order.
Hearing.
75. When a cause in the hearing paper has been called on, if neither party appears either in person or by counsel or attorney, the Court, on being satisfied that the plaintiff has received notice of the hearing, shall, unless it sees good reason
o the contrary, strike the cause out of the hearing paper.
76. If the plaintiff does not appear in person or by counsel or attorney, the Court, on being satisfied that the plaintiff has received notice of the hearing shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, strike out the cause, and make such order as
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to costs in favour of any defendant appearing as seems just.
77. If the plaintiff appears, but the defendant or any of the Non-appear- defendants does not appear, in person or by counsel or attorney, ance of the Court shall, before hearing the cause, inquire into the service defendant. of the petition and of notice of hearing on the absent party or parties.
If not satisfied as to the service on every party, the Court shall direct that further service be made as it directs, and adjourn the hearing of the cause for that purpose.
If satisfied that the defendant or the several defendants has or have been duly served with the petition and with notice of the hearing, the Court may proceed to hear the cause notwith- standing the absence of the defendant or any of the defendants, and may, on the evidence adduced by the plaintiff, give such judgment as appears just. The Court, however, shall not be absolutely bound to do so, but may order the bearing to stand over to a further day, and direct fresh notice to be given to the defendant or defendants, in case justice seems to require an adjournment.
78. Where the Court hears a cause and gives judgment in Rehearing for the absence of and against any defendant, it may afterwards if defendant. it thinks fit, on such terms as seem just, set aside the decree and rehear the cause, on its being established by evidence on oath
to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant's absence
was not wilful, and that he has a defence upon the merits.
79. Where a cause is struck out by reason of the absence Restoration of of the plaintiff, it shall not be restored without leave of the cause to list Court, until it has been set down again at the bottom of the
for plaintiff. general hearing list, and been transferred in its regular turn to the hearing paper.
second time.
80. Where a cause has been once struck out, and has been Non-appear- a second time set down, and has come into the hearing paper, ance of and on the day fixed for the hearing, the plaintiff having received plaintiff a due notice thereof, fails to appear either in person or by counsel or attorney when the cause is called on, the Court, on the appli- cation of the defendant, and if the non-appearance of the plaintiff appears to be wilful and intended to harass the defendant, or to be likely to prejudice the defendant by preventing the hearing and determination of the suit, may make an order on the plaintiff to show cause why a day should not be fixed for the peremptory hearing of the cause; and on the return to that order, if no cause or no sufficient cause be shown, the Court, shall fix a day accordingly, upon such notice and other terms as seem just. In case the plaintiff does not appear on the day so fixed, either in person or by counsel or attorney, the Court shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, dismiss the petition, which
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